Hello All!

New here to BYC and looking forward to learning and sharing info! I currently have13 chickens total most are RIR and I'm currently working on building another coop to separate the reds for breeding. The rooster has been introduced to the hens for about a week now once separated there will be 1 rooster for 6 hens is that a good number and can anyone tell me how long before I should start having fertile eggs? Thank you!

I had read on some other sites that once you have a rooster the need for laying pellets was no longer needed. I still give them scratch grains and always give them the egg shells I use. To have better fertile eggs should I start them back on layer pellets?

I had read on some other sites that once you have a rooster the need for laying pellets was no longer needed. I still give them scratch grains and always give them the egg shells I use. To have better fertile eggs should I start them back on layer pellets?

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Laying hens always need layer feed. Laying an egg is quite taxing on a birds system, producing an egg with all the building blocks of life in it. So every time they lay, they need to replace all these vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, CALCIUM, etc....When I hen doesn't get enough of these things, she draws it out of her bones, muscle tissue, etc... Layer feed has all these hens need to continue to lay and stay healthy. Always provide oyster shell on the side for those hens that need more. Oyster shell puts a hard shell on the egg and also aids in the contractions to move the egg out of the body.

A roo needs to mate with hens for at least 2 weeks before you will have a good supply of fertile eggs.

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2, Laying hens need to be well fed to lay well and stay in good condition, they usually are not going to be able to find enough food free ranging to produce well. I wonder if what you read about was some people do not like to feed roosters Layer feed, and chicks under 18 weeks should not be fed Layer, because of the high amount of calcium in it. A lot of people with a mixed ages flock will feed all their chickens an all-ages or flock raiser type food and have calcium / oyster shell available in a separate container for the laying hens, the chickens that need the calcium will eat it, but the other birds will leave it alone. btw, if you have more than one rooster the hens are with right now, you need to wait about three weeks after separating them out to be sure the rooster they are caged will be the father of the chicks.